Can-filling machine



May 13, 1930.

F. A; FOSTER CAN FILLING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1921 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,J1 tie/21 0)"! May 13, 1930. F. A. FOSTER 1,758,508

CAN FILLING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ay 13, 1930. F. A.FOSTER 1,758,508

CAN FI-LLING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I VIII/Ilg/III/l/IIIIIII/IIII;

Nit-" an PATENT OFFICE FRANK a rosmn, or oornsron, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, 3v MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro SPRAGUE-SELLS CORPORATION, or nooras'ron, ILLINOIS can-FILLING momma Application mammn 19, 1921. Serial No. 453,854.

My invention relates to can filling machines; and it has especial relation to machines wherein cans are supplied with liquid material and wherein means are'provided 5 for stopping the flow of material into the can after a certain amount of material has entered the can, whereby overflowing of the latter and consequent waste of material is eliminated.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a machine wherein cans may be filled to a uniform predetermined level. Many attempts to accomplish this object have been made in the machines heretofore employed but, so far as LI am aware, all of said machines depended on prior measuring devices or upon displacement plates and the like .to accomplish the aforesaid object.

Where pre-measuring devices are employed it is, ofcourse, necessary to accurately measure the material prior toits delivery to the cans. The feature necessitates the employment of mechanism of such character that the material is handled twice or more in its passa e from the main reservoir to the cans wit the consequent difiiculty in preventing loss. At the same time, it is diflicult to associate, with such pre-measuring mechanism, ade uate safety devicessuch as the no-can, noapparatus which I shall hereinafter describe. j

In the prior art machinesemployiii displacement plates it has been usual to t the open end of the can tightly against a cap to the lower side of which is attached said displacement plate. 'The volume of liquid which is displaced by said plate predetermine's 'the height of the liquid when said can is withdrawn from engagement with said" cap. It is apparent that any one plate will .displacefa' given amount of material'and therefore, should the diameters of the cans, varyitwill be necessary to effect an eptire readjustment'of these plates inorder tool)- tain the samematerial' height .in each can. My invention, on the other hand, "contemlates'the employment of governing means or controlling the flow of material mtothe :cans 'whichare of such character. that the height of the material in the can is the determining factor in said control, irrespective of other circumstances which might tend to vary said height if other methods of filling were employed.

Moreover, as I will hereinafter point out, the preferred form of my invention embodies these means in such a manner that the material height acts directly to control the flow of material into the can. In this fashion I am able to do away with all extraneous governing means for filling the can to a desired height. No elaborate system of displacement plates together with their accompanying attachment difficulties is employed and, as I will point out, the height to which the cans may be filled in my machine can be varied very rapidly and even while the machine is operating at normal speed. This variation of material level can be obtained in the above described machines by somewhat difiicult adjustment.

-The valve means which I employ has another decided advantage in that the filling of the cans may be performed with the top of the can open so. that the air escapes freely and a complicated system of air vent pipes is unnecessary. As those skilled in the art are aware, such filling. of the cans with the entire top of the latter open to the air is contributory to many advantages. v

' My invention contemplates the use of means whereby the material level in the can serves to hydrostatically control the flow f material into the can. In the machine-heieinafter described means for positively. me-

chanically controlling the material flow are also employed, these latter means operating after the flow has ceased.

More p y y machine embodiesa plurality, of a ir tight' reservoirs which may :be filled from any desired material tank. Extendinggin'to 'these 'reservolrs are alr-supply means,- the intake ends, of which are to cans which are positioned to receivethe material discharged from said reservoirs.

adapted to extend predetermined distances 1 Mechanical actuating means are providedv 1 for closing the air intake means as well as the ports through which the materlal in the reservoirs is discharged into the cans. These means are timed to hold the ports and the air supply closed as long as the reservoirs are being filled with material. Thereafter, and assuming that .a can is properly positioned with the intake end of the air supply means extending thereinto, means are provided for mechanically opening the air supply and the reservoir ports. The air which enters the reservoir exerts a downward pressure on the top of the material therein and so unbalances the pressures that the material is forced out through the ports and into said can.

When the material in the can reaches the bottom, or the intake end, of the air. supply means and covers the same the air supply therethrough will be stopped and a condi tion of pressure balance will again, obtain whereupon the material will cease flowing through the ports. Finally, the mechanical air control and port closing means are actuated and the reservoir having thus been completely closed, the can may be withdrawn.

From this brief description it will be ob served that I have provided means whereb cans may be filled with liquid to any desired level regardless of the volume of the can and its shape. Because of the ease-of adjustment in my machine it is a matter of but a moment to regulate the amount ofmaterial which it is desired to place in the cans. Fromthis description it -will be apparent, to those skilled in the art, that my machine accomplishes something which has not heretofone been possible with other machines, since all such machines operated either to pre-measure the quantity of material which was to be supplied to the can, or by use of displacement plates predetermined an arbitrary level of the material in each can.

It isobvious that in order to fillcans of two difierent diameters to the same level it would be necessary to make a number of complex adj ustme-nts in a machineof the former type, that is, one'in which the quantities were premeasured. On the other hand, machines which use a displacement plate have the same shortcoming in thatherethe controlling factor is the volume of the unfilled portion of the can, rather than the level to which the material therein is allowed). to rise.

' Finally, as I will hereinafter point out, a

liquid .valve constructed in accordance with my invention maybe so applied to can filling machines-that dripping from the can supply means, after the cans have been moved away therefrom, is practically eliminated.

' For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. ,1 is" an elevational view, partially in section and. having portions broken away, illustrating a can-filling machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my machine;

desirable form of governing mechanism which I employ in my machine;

-Fig. .6 is an elevati'onal sectional view of a portion of my machine and illustrates in detail the valve mechanism employed therein; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, my machine comprises a frame portion composed of standards 10 which are braced at the bottom by tie rods 11 and which have, extending from one to another at their tops, a yoke member 12. A member 14 extends between the uprights 101(), and serves as a support for-the end of a vertically extending shaft 15, the other or upper end of which is journalled in the yoke 12 and said shaft is driven through a gear 16 keyed thereto. A cam member 17 is rigidly secured to the member 14, for purposes to be hereinafter described.

Mounted on the shaft 15 is a large material tank 18which is so related to said shaft that it may be moved vertically thereof by a hand wheel 19 whereby certain adjustments, which I will hereinafter describe, are effected.

A stationarycollar 20 is secured tothe yoke 12 'with. Between the tank 18 and thereservoirs 22 are openings 23 which are adapted to be closed by valves 24. The latter valves 24; are mounted on stems 25 which reciprocate in guides 26 and 27 mounted upon the main tank structure. Springs 28 constantly bias the valves to closed position whence they are opened by the compressionbf the spring 28 when a wheel 29 at the top of the valve rod travels along the lowermost portion of the cam track 21 and thereby presses the valve rods downwardly. This cam track is so shaped that. the movements of the valve stems are properly synchronized with other opera tions of said machines.

A can table 30 is secured to the shaft 15 and disposed substantially peripherially around the table 30 area plurality of can lifts 31. Each lift is secured to a rod-32 which carries at its lower end a roller 32 traveling in the track of the c m 17. This particular construction causes t e cans to be raised after they have been initially supplied and are positioned on the can lifts.

Referring now more particularly to -Fig. 6, it will be observed that the reservoirs 22 comprise a cylindrical open ended portion 33, the upperend of which abuts against the 1 bottom of the tank 18. The lower end there-I a positionrestoring member 44 comprising a of is closed by an integrally formed member 34 which is-threaded at 35 to permit the mounting thereupon of an annular guide 5 member 36. The lower end of the member 34 is closed by a plate 34 .v Supported in the guide member 36 is a substantial cup-shaped sleeve member 37 having a cam-like portion 38 rigidly secured thereto. )This member 37 has an annular flange 36 whereby it is supported for rotation about the barrel portion of the part 34. It will be observed that the bottom plate 34 is provided with a plurality of apertures or ports 39 whereas the bottom plate 37 of the member 37 islikewise provided with a plurality of apertures 40 which may be moved into registry with the ports 39 when the member 37 rotates about the member 34.

.Extending from the bottom of the member 34 and-substantially to the top of the reservoir 22 is a pipe 41. The lower end of said pipe extends through, and has its lower endflush with,the bottom of plate 34. It will be observed that the plate 37 a at the bottom of the member 37 is also provided with an aperture 41 which may be made to register with the bottom open end of the pipe 41.

Therefore, when the plate 37 is moved relatively to the bottom plate 34 the apertures 39 and 40 are brought into registry whereupon any material which is in the reservoir will flow downwardly as long as the proper conditions exist. The same move-. ment of the plate 37 uncovers the bottom of the pipe 41 by bringingqthe aperture 41 into registry with the ower ,open end of said pipe.

A cap member 42 is carried by the valve 24. When this valve opens in a downward direction the cap covers the upper open end of the pipe 41 and preventstheflow ofmaterialthereinto. When, however, the valve 24 closes,

the cap 42 is raised upwardly sufl'iciently to allow the air to flow through the pipe 41 and to exert pressure above the material in the reservoir 22 whereby said material flows out through ports 39 when they are opened.

, Reference to Fig. 3 will illustrate the manner in which the plate 37 is moved by the cam 38 and sleeve 37 to perform the desired functions. The cam-like portion 38 is arranged to be engaged by a roller 43 and when this roller does not yield, that is, when the same cannot be pushed aside by the portion 38, the latter is moved in such direction that the plate 37 moves'to open the ports 39 and the lower end' of the air supply pipe.

Assuming that the roller 43 has been held stationary and that, therefore, the member 38 has been moved in a counterclockwise direction (see Fig. 3), it will be observed that after the reservoirs have moved to a point substantially opposite the roller 43, the cams 38 are successively brought into contact with bracket having a roller 45 mounted there- 38 the latter is moved in a clockwise direction and by such movement carries the openings in the plates 37 a out of registry with the stationary ports in the bottom of the reservoir.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, I have illustrated a safetydevicewhichIfindparticularly adaptable in this type of filling machine. This device is provided to prevent the opening of the ports in the bottom of the reservoir 22' when the associated can is not properly positioned therebeneath. I

It will be observed that the roller 43 is positioned at the end of an arm 46, the latter being pivoted at 47 whereby if said arm 46 is free to'swing about its pivot, the cam 38, upon coming into contact with the roller 43 will swing said arm 46 aside, and the reservoirs will therefore pass this point without the ports being opened. This arm 46 is normally held in position, for engagement with the cam 38, by a spring 48 which surrounds a rod 49 extending substantially perpendicularly to the 'arm 46. The lower end of the spring 48 is braced against an upright plate.

member 50 which has a hole 51 therein through which the outer end of the rod 49 passes.

A can actuated arm 52 is pivoted at 53 in a plane below the pivot point 47 of the arm 46. The end 54 of the arm 52is apertured to provide a socketengaging the lower end of a safety arm 55. This arm 55 is pivoted at 56' on the outer side of the member 50. It will be observed that,.when the lower end 55*, which is positioned in the end 54 of the pivot arm 52, swings to the right, the upper end 55 thereof is positioned directly over the hole in the member 50. Since. this end 55 is substantially flush with the outer surface of the plate 50, the rod 49 is prevented from moving outwardly when the arm 55 is swung to such position that it closes the hole 51. A spring 57 is attached at one end to the plate 50 and at its other end to the lower side of the arm 55 whereby said arm 55 is'biased to such position that the hole 51 is normally uncovered, and the ro 49 may slide therethrough.

Having described one embodiment of my invention the operation thereof is as follows:

a-nismmoves the can is rigidly heldby suitable guards and therefore pushes the arm 52 to the left, which in turn, causes the lower end 55jof the arm 55 to be swung to the right.

The upper portion 55 of this arm will be swung across the hole 51 whereby the rod 49 is precluded from moving outwardly and therefore the roller 43 is held stationary. The

Therefore, as the reservoirs with their as-- sociated plate operating cams 38, (the latter in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4,) approach the roller 43, they are filled with material. Moreover, it will be understood that the coordination of the can lifts 31 and the remainder of the machine is such that, as the reservoirs approach the roller 43, the cans are lifted upwardly so that the bottom portion of the reservoir" 22 extends downwardly into the cana pre termined distance.

The roller 4 now contacts with the cam 38 and inasmuch as said roller cannot 'be pushed aside by said cam the latter is in itself moved in a counterclockwise direct-ion and the plate 37 is so positioned that the ports 39 and '41 are opened. The air then passes upwardly along the pipe 41 and exerts such a pressure above the material in the reservoirs 22 that said material flows outwardly through the ports'39 and is discharged into the can associated with that particular reservoir.

When the level of the material in the can is such that the bottom end of the pipe 41 is covered by said material, the flow of material is hydrostatically stoppedinasmuch as the air pressures are again balanced. 'It is ap-- parent, therefore, that the cansmay be filled to any desired level by simply adjusting the entlre tank through the hand wheel 19,-whereby the reservoirs, as a whole, may be moved.

upwardly and downwardly to vary the distance which the bottom of the pipe 41 extends into the can.

- After the flow of material has been hydrostatically prevented by the occurrence ofthe aforedescribed conditions, the-cam is pushed in a clockwise direction by the roller 45. This occurs, as will be evident from a consideration of Fig. 3, after the can filling machine has movedjthrough a considerable portion of a clrcumference of a circle. When the cam 38 is so moved the openings in the plates 37 and 34 are withdrawn'from registry and the arts are thereby mechanically closed, the

- ower end of .the iipe 41- likewise being mechanically closed at this time. i

" Howeverllf It should happen that a resermachine, a combined hydrostatic and mevoir approached the roller 43 and, by some untowardcircumstancesa can was not properly associated therewith, the arm 52 would not "be pushed to the left but would remain as seen in Fig. 4. With the arm 52 in this position, as it always will be when unmoved-by a cam, due to the spring 57, the arm 55 will not be in front of the hole 51. Therefore, the cam 38 will push the roller 43 aside and the ports will not be opened.

It will be noted that the safety mechanism is always automatically reset after the passage of each can whereby it is always ready to function. as each new reservoir approaches it. After the contents of the reservoirs have been discharged, and the ports thereafter closed, first hydrostatically and then mechanically, the above described cycle of operations is repeated.

I find that the machine just described is capable of relatively fast operation because of the comparatively few parts which are employed in obtaining all of the complex combinations which are necessary to accomplish the results as above set forth. This advantage is particularly realized because of the manner in which the material in the reservoirs is bydr'ostatically fed to the associated cams. Again, itwill be observed-that the ports, as Well as the air intake, are at the extreme bottom of the portion 37 of the reservoir whereby the dripping, which is occasioned when the can is withdrawn from the supply and which is a very difficult matter to overcome, is substantially eliminated.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the clean-cut withdrawal which is possible when the hydrostatic principle is applied to control the flow of material intothe cans. The fact that the closing plate for'the discharge ports is at the extreme end insures that no intervemng space is left wherein the liquid after the level of the material therein rises above the air intake pipe. Then too, the level to which it is desired to fill the cans may be easily varied in my machine by simply adjusting the" entire tank and attached reservoirs through the hand wheel 19.

While I have described but one embodimentof my invention it is apparent that many modifications therein may occur to those skilled in the art and, since I believe that I am the-first to provide, in a can'filling tion be broadly interpreted and that it be limited only by the prior art and by the scope of the appended claims.

- chanical valve system, I desire that my inven- I claim 1 1. In a can filling machine, a movable main material tank, an auxiliaryair-tight reservoir adapted'to be connected thereto and to discharge into a'can, means for completely 2. In a can filling machine, a movable main materlal tank, an auxiliary air-tight reservolr adapted to be connected thereto and to dis- 'be com letel filled air su l i es each p y 7 d p p f are closed \to discharge the material from said reservoirs into a can, sa1d air-supplying means being. associated with said can to stop charge into a can, means for completely filling said auxiliary reservoir from the main tank, means comprising ports whereby the contents of said reservoir may be discharged into said can, port controlling means, means for introducing air above the contents of said reservoirwhen said ports are open and after sa1d reservoir filllng means is closed, means for revolv1ng sa1d tank and appurtenant apparatus to actuate said port controlling means and said air introducing means, and means for preventing said introduction of air and the opening of'said ports unless a can is properly positioned with respect to said reservolr.

, 3. In a can fillin machine, a movable main material tank, auxlliary air tight reservoirs connected to said tank, valves between said tank and reservoirs whereby the latter may having one end thereof exten mg into one 0 said reservoirs, means whereby the said ends of thepipes may be covered while said valves are open, and whereby air may flow into said reservoirs when the latter discharge into cans.

4. In a can fillingmachine, a movable main material tank, auxiliary air tight're'servoirs connected to' said tank,-v'alves between said tank and reservoirs, means comprising ports whereby the contents of said reservoirs may be discharged into a can, means for positively supplying air to the interior of said resermaterial tank, auxiliary air tight reservoirs b u voirs, means for operating sa1d valves to fill saidreservoirs wliile sa1d ports and air supply means are closed, and means for there-' after openingsaid ports and supplyingair to the top of said reservoirs while said valves are closed to discharge the material from said reservoirs into a can-,;'said air supply being governed by the material insaid can.

5.. In a can filling machine, a movable main connected-to said tank, valves between said tank and r'eservoirs,'means comprising ports whereby the contents of sa1d reservoirs may beed c-harged mto a can, means for positive- 'the top are closed to discharge the material from 1y supplying air to the interior of said reservoirs, means for operating said valves to fill said reservoirs while said ports and air supply means are closed, and means for thereafter opening said ports and supplying air to of said reservoirs while said valves said reservoirs into a can, said air-supplying means being associated with said can to stop said air supply when the material in said can reaches a predetermined level.

6. In a can filling machine, a movable main material tank, auxiliary air tight reservoirs, means comprising ports whereby the contents of said reservoirs maybe discharged into a can, means for positively supplymg a,

.air to the interior of said reservoirs while said ports and air supply means are closed, means for thereafter opening said ports and supplying air to the top (if said reservoirs to discharge the material from said reservoirs into a can, said air-supply means being associated with said can to stop said air supply when the material reaches a predetermined level in said can, and means for thereafter closing said ports.

7. In a can filling machine, a movable main material tank, auxlliary air tight reservoirs connected to said tank, valves between said tank and reservoirs, means comprising ports whereby the contents of said reservoirs may be discharged into a can, means for positively supplying air to the interior of said reser- VOIIS, means for operating said valve to fill said reservoirs while said ports and air 3 supply means are closed, means for thereafter opening said ports and supplying air to the top of said reservoirs while said valves whereby-the contents of each reservolr may be discharged into a can, means comprising a pipe having one end opening into said reservoir, means for so positioning said can that the other end of said pipe may be covered when the material in said can reaches a predetermined level, means opening and closing said ports; and and means for withdrawing saidcan from said position only when said ports areclosed.

material tank, auxiliary air tight reservoirs 9. In a can'filling machine, a movable main connected to said tank, valves between said tank and reservoirs, means comprising ports whereby the contents of each reservoir may be discharged into a can, means comprising a pipe having one end opening into said resera voir, means for 'elevatmg the cans supplied to said machine so that the other endof said pipe extends a predetermined distance into said can, means for opening and closing the last mentioned end of said pipe, and means for'actn ating said last named means to open said pipe only when the can is in an elevated 10 position. I

10. In a can filling machine, a movable main material tank, auxiliarf air tight reservoirs connected to said tank, valves between said tank and reservoirs, means comprising ports whereby the contents of each reservoir.

maybe discharged into a can, means com-' prising a pipe having one end opening into said reservoir, means for so positioning said can that the otheriend of said pipemay be covered when the material in said can reaches a predetermined level, means opening and closing said ports, means for elevating the cans supplied to said machine so that the other end of said pipe extends a predetermined distance into said can, means foropening and closing the last mentioned end of said pipe, and means for actuating said portcontrolling means and said pipe-controlling means to'open said ports and pipe only when 3 the cans are in elevated poistion. 11. In a can filling machine, a movable main material tank, auxiliary air tight reservoirs connected to said tank, valves between said tankand' each of said reservoirs, means comprising ports whereby the contents of said reservoirs may be discharged into cans, means comprising a pipe having one end opening into said reservoir, means for so positioning said can that. the other end of said 40 pipe may be covered when the material in said can reaghes a predetermined level, means h opening and closing said ports, means for elevatin the cans supplied to said machine so that t e other end of said pipe extends a predetermined distance into said can, means for opening and closing the last mentioned end of said p1pes,'means for actuating said portcontrolled means and said pipe-controlling means to open said-ports and pipe only when the cans are in elevated position, and means a to close said air pipe and said ports after the flow of material through the latter has ceased due to. the closure of the air pipe by the material in'said can. In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. a

. FRANK A. FOSTER. 

